Chapter 95: The Last Feast
ips coated with lip gloss brushed past his ear before stopping.The American girl sweetly smiled after her stunned expression and extended her tanned arms to wrap around him in a fiery hug, turning her...Chapter 95: The Last Feast
Sometimes, the autumn in this city was as hot and humid as a sweltering summer, while at other times it was clear and cool with gentle breezes. This led to Su Can alternating between wearing short sleeves and shorts one day, and having to wear thick coats the next.
This created two extreme lifestyles: During continuous rainy autumn days that were chilly, Su Can and his group would stay in their dorm room reading books, playing games, watching movies, drinking tea, chatting nonsense, or just talking. On scorching nights when temperatures dropped, they would gather at the night market behind Nan She to eat seafood, grilled skewers, stir-fried snails, rice noodle rolls, and drink a few bottles of beer with their friends.
It was these kinds of scenes that often formed the most vivid college memories years later. Days when there were brothers around for laughter and fun, while also having someone special牽掛 (to worry about or care for) in one's heart.
However, because of the conflict that Su Can's group had here at the end of last semester—where their opponents were influential figures in the campus—the incident was suppressed under them. Afterward, it seemed like a department leader came and settled everything down quietly without much fuss. This caused quite a stir among many people.
As a result, Su Can's group were no longer as inconspicuous on the night market street as they once had been. They often found themselves being watched with suspicion by groups of students from different departments and discussed privately as if they were dangerous individuals. Su Can even wondered whether those vendors who had operated in Nan University for years might blacklist them.
It was under these circumstances that Su Can heard news about Chen Lingshan.
This happened one night at the barbecue street stall, where a fellow dorm mate from another dormitory laid out on the table an influential magazine in the Jinghu region. The theme of this year’s issue was the ninth Shanghai TV Festival's "Film and Television New Talent Selection Competition."
The Shanghai International TV Week had been established in the 1980s as China's earliest international television festival, becoming Asia's largest international cultural exchange event after being officially recognized by Shanghai's highest legislative body.
Having reached its ninth edition over several decades later, it was a landmark product of market economy mechanisms. To date, it had attracted thousands of TV series and documentaries from around the world and nurtured Asia’s largest program trading market with transaction volumes reaching billions of yuan.
This year's billion-dollar figure was quite impressive. Although not as famous as Cannes Film Festival, Shanghai International TV Week’s influence continued to grow steadily in future years; its current impact was already evident.
The Shanghai TV Festival's Film and Television New Talent Selection Contest is a talent show jointly organized by the festival committee and some sponsors. The contestants are strictly limited to those aged between 16 and 25, with no previous experience in public commercial performances.
Aiming for the top three spots in this selection contest brings an actual簽約成為演員的機會，這對於所有在影視藝術學院的學生以及那些尚未嶄露頭角但懷揣演藝夢想的新人們來說，無疑是個福音。
The competition started over a month ago and is now nearing its end, with only sixteen finalists remaining.
Of course, this film and television new talent selection contest is far from as popular as the Super Girl Contest of later years. It can even be considered an appendage to the Shanghai TV Festival, perhaps not widely known throughout inland China. Nevertheless, it remains a hot topic in Shanghai where it's being held.
Many people eating late-night snacks at food stalls today are here specifically to watch the show on this old 17-inch television and admire its beauty.
This old TV set in front of the night-time barbecue stall is covered with thick grease. For many years, the owner who waves a spatula over flames belching from the stove late into the night has used cheap yet high-temperature cooked food and this seemingly outdated but never obsolete television to bid farewell to batches of students who have spent their days watching football matches, news programs, NBA games, and admiring beauties while causing commotion day and night.
As Su Can flipped through a magazine, the Shanghai TV Station was live broadcasting the final round of the Shanghai TV Festival's new talent selection contest on this old television set. Unlike in later years where reality shows were aired in full, earlier broadcasts featured judges and insiders from the film industry closed-doors evaluating contestants before airing the finals.
Su Can here felt his eardrums震動 as he heard a familiar name. He instinctively looked up to see Chen Lingyan participating in the final round on TV. She stood on the live stage of Shanghai Television, competing with other finalists from Chengdu, Dalian, and Shanghai for their rankings after passing through preliminary and semi-finals. There was an unyielding pride and determination in her eyes, a desire to showcase her strength.
Amidst his university classmates' critiques of the program, amidst sizzling sounds as chili oil met high temperatures, and amidst billowing smoke that left clothes with a pungent smell in Nan Da South District's dormitory area, Su Can found himself lost in thought after an unexpected moment of astonishment and disbelief.
He saw Chen Lingyan as he first encountered her, proud yet sensitive. He saw the shadow of her on his high school desk that disappeared almost instantly. He saw her at Shi Hai City No. 1 High School during a farewell arts festival before leaving, wearing a white skirt and performing a dance that captured everyone's attention in an explosive event.
The sandy path with gusts of wind, that moment of white as pure as snow.
"Those legs of number twelve really make one's mind wander. I see that everyone is quite strong, and I can't figure out who will actually win the championship. It’s said that those who place in the top three among the sixteen competitors get a chance to sign with a film or television company as a newcomer,"
someone remarked. "This means they’ve officially entered the entertainment industry." “If I were asked, I’d support number thirteen since she’s one of us from Nanda University. Even though she’s not beautiful, her aura is quite remarkable. Besides, Zhang Xiaqiao knows her,” said Xiao Xu with a wink.
Upon this remark, Zhang Dongjian and Li Han began to stir up trouble among the others who were in on the joke. Since Tang Wu and the girls from room 302 weren't around today, no one was holding back. The number thirteen that Xiao Xu mentioned was a senior at Nanda University with some notoriety among seniors in her third and fourth years. She had participated in this newcomer competition recently, making it a hot topic on campus. Many of the nearby night beer stalls where people watched TV suddenly started watching the live broadcast of this competition on Shanghai Television to support their fellow beauty from Nanda.
“Get lost! My dad’s classmate is her father and she's the daughter of the dean in the law department. Don’t say anything like that, or it will cause misunderstandings.” Zhang Xiaqiao was originally a native of Nanda University. In such a small circle, how much room could there be
Zhang Dongjian, who loved to ask everyone these kinds of questions, laughed and said with a glass of wine in hand, "Su Cen, which contestant do you think will succeed Or should I say, which one are you supporting"
Su Cen smiled and replied, “Me No opinion.”
Everyone around him laughed mockingly. Someone else remarked that such contests happened several times a year, and how many actors who signed up would actually make it big in the industry Many of them were buried instead. Entering this circle didn’t necessarily mean they’d smoothly enter high society; in reality, too many people ended up being mercilessly eliminated.
Su Cen knew that Chen Lingshan from the previous life seemed to have been working in this field after graduating from Beijing Film Academy for years without much recognition. But now, at least Chen Lingshan was standing on the stage of Shanghai Television's newcomer competition, taking a step into new history.
Su Cen knew that it was because of his reincarnation and the changes he brought with him, one of which was this very moment.
Many people were advancing in their lives; Chen Lingshan had embarked on a new journey in her life. Whether she wanted to show off or be proud about it, Su Cen hoped that she could smoothly walk down the road ahead. From now on, he wouldn’t know what would happen next in her life just as he didn't know how his own life would proceed.
University life was a pleasure for Su Cen; he often played small pranks with Tang Wu and enjoyed going out to dinner or watching movies together. He occasionally went swimming, but Tang Wu never joined him, blushing whenever the topic came up.
Su Cen received a routine call from home during this period.
"There have been some personnel adjustments in your father's group. Uncle Zhong Junjian has taken over two departments: the Overseas Engineering Department and the Third Company. Everyone is joking that his position as vice president has grown bigger, and your dad is quite happy."
As Zeng He spoke, Su Cen could faintly hear his father's slightly intoxicated voice on the phone saying, "Is this my son calling Let him talk to Uncle Zhong for a bit; Uncle Zhong wants to chat with him! Bring it over here."
Zhong Junjian, flushed from drinking, pointed at Su Licheng and said, "Having such a son is your greatest blessing." He then picked up the phone and started chatting nonsense with Su Cen about how he was studying at school and that he was a high-achieving student at Nan Da University.
Su Cen nearly got dizzy from the nonsensical conversation. The people present took turns talking to him, with Group Chairman Bie Jiayong handing over the phone while wearing glasses; despite his refined appearance, he didn't know how to respond to Su Cen's words. He looked up at Su Licheng and smiled, saying, "Your son asked me to tell you not to drink too much."
The room filled with comforting laughter once more.
These internal adjustments in personnel authority within Dayong Construction were a clear indication that Su Licheng was making his final arrangements before leaving.
The unprecedented celebration among the group's decision-makers, which only Su Cen knew about but probably also resonated with everyone present, might be their last grand feast together.
Soon after this, Su Licheng would take up a new position, set new goals, and change his assignment direction, capturing the attention of countless people.
Su Cen hung up the phone and leaned against an歐式長椅 on the lawn, basking in the cool autumn breeze. Beside him was a new issue of Women's Magazine with Chen Lingshan holding the Golden Cup for New Talent in Film and Television on the cover, her smile radiant.
Her smile was as beautiful as blooming flowers. Don't tell me you want me to be uncomfortable If I'm upset, my performance on the exam will suffer."Lin Zouwu was hit by Lin Luoran who said, "What nonsense are you talking You already feel like it's...